Missouri Headwaters
Drought Resilience Demonstration ProjectThe Missouri Headwaters Drought Resilience Demonstration Project empowers communities to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of drought.
The project was developed with participation from people living and working in the basin, and includes a wide assortment of tasks to reach the overarching goal of coordinated landscape-wide drought resilience.
Goal 1
Provide Tools for Monitoring, Assessing, and Forecasting
What:
Address data gaps and ensure drought-related information is integrated and accessible to landowners, watershed groups, and resource managers.
Why:
Local leaders need accessible data to make timely land and water management decisions.
How:
Help agencies deliver organized, easily understood, and relevant data to communities and decision makers.
Outcome:
Improved real-time data to assess current and future drought conditions for improved planning and forecasting.
River Conditions Tool
The River Conditions Visualizer Tool is one outcome of this goal. The tool provides real-time data on river conditions throughout the region, based on USGS gauges.
Goal 2
Develop Local and Regional Capacity to Plan for Drought
What:
Invest in the financial and organizational capacity of local watershed groups to build trust and empower community leaders to work together on drought planning and drought resilience.
Why:
Local watershed coordinators are in a leadership position to gather tools and engage community members to develop comprehensive drought plans.
How:
Provide technical and financial support to watershed groups to engage community members to develop and implement drought resilience plans.
Outcome:
Drought Plans tailored to individual watersheds that inform a basin-wide drought mitigation strategy.
Goal 3
Implement Local Projects to Build Regional Resilience
What:
A suite of on-the-ground projects that work to store water more effectively in wetlands and floodplains, improve soil health, and optimize upland and forest management.
Why:
Projects informed by local resource needs and driven by engaged communities are the foundation for regional drought resilience.
How:
Work with and inform local landowners to identify candidate projects that improve ecological function.
Outcome:
Improved forest, upland, rangeland, and riparian management can maximize water conservation to meet short-term changes in seasons and long-term changes in climate.